Monster asks for more time for NASCAR Cup Series sponsorship decision

We’re probably not going to find out if it will still be the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 until 2018.

Monster still isn’t sure whether it wants to renew its title sponsorship for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and wants more time to make up its mind.

That’s the word from Adam Stern of Sports Business Daily (via Jayski), who tweeted out earlier this week that the company probably won’t decide for sure until 2018, assuming NASCAR grants its request for more time.

According to SBD, the deadline for Monster’s decision was believed to be this December, so any extension would almost certainly mean pushing it back into next year.

Monster Beverage has done well for itself financially this year, with its stock hitting an all-time high in August. So raw dollars likely aren’t the issue, but rather whether the company is getting the exposure and benefit it feels it should from being the title sponsor of NASCAR’s top series.

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Stern had earlier reported that Monster was considering “recalibrating its NASCAR spend” in 2018. One factor could be what it decides to do with Stewart-Haas Racing, and the No. 41 once and perhaps still to be driven by Kurt Busch. Monster’s decision to sponsor that car came before it signed on with the sport as a whole, and it would not be shocking if it decided to scale back there — which could in turn jeopardize Busch’s return to SHR.

The original deal between Monster and NASCAR was only for two years, which would take it through the 2018 season. Should the company decide not to re-up for two more years, it would cause a potential pain in the neck for NASCAR, which would be forced to seek another main sponsor after only two years at a time when attendance and TV ratings continue to trend down.